Learning and Failure
by LeDiz
Summary: Yami's been researching legalities. Yuugi is trying to sleep. The two don't mix well. A little bit of finish for Homecomings.


**_#85 – Study_**

**DISCLAIMER**: As part of the The Things We Do collection of one-shots that I'll be amazed if anyone remembers, and a slight continuation of Homecomings, I present this fic to you. Homecomings, though you don't really have to read it to get this, included a scene between Yami and Yuugi's father, who was of the misunderstanding that Yami and Yuugi were getting it on. He implied that he could have Yami arrested for sexual relations with a minor. Those who do their research found fault with this, and every so often I get poked at to fix it. But, those who know me know that although I didn't know the laws at the time, it wasn't important to me anyway. The thought about it spawned a fic. And I felt like writing fluff anyway…

* * *

It definitely wasn't an "Ah hah!"

Yuugi knew that, because his other self was a master gamer that could control his expressions better than anyone. Even when doing something as mundane as online research. He did not give away successes or failures. And he certainly didn't go "Ah hah!"

But at that exact second, Yuugi didn't much care. It was ten in the morning, and a day off, and his first one after two weeks of practice exams. He was asleep.

"Ah hah?" he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"The legal age for sexual consent is thirteen!"

That was a little too odd for even Yuugi to ignore. But it was still ten in the morning and a day off, so he just furrowed his brow and kept his eyes shut. "You didn't know that?"

"It's not exactly something you used to think about a lot. Why would I know that?"

"Well, you know how to cheat pretty well," he pointed out lazily, and sighed out a deep, sleepy breath. "I didn't exactly think about that, either."

"I don't cheat."

"But you know how," he replied, and then nestled further into his pillow.

"And now I know this! Ohh, this is sweet."

Again, that was even stranger than the whole topic, and Yuugi opened his eyes, looking sideways as if he could see behind him that way. "The other me, should I be at all concerned by that statement?"

There was a pause in which Yuugi could practically hear Yami smirk. "Jealous, aibou?"

He considered that, then dropped back into his pillow. "No."

"You are far too trusting."

"And the only thirteen year olds you know are Rebecca Hopkins and Mokuba Kaiba," he mumbled, smiling despite his attempts to be asleep. "Both Rebecca herself and Seto Kaiba would slaughter you if you were researching consent for them."

"Your mind works in twisted ways."

"I learn from the best. I'm going back to sleep now."

The bed dipped behind him, and he felt Yami leaning over his side. "How do you know I'm researching for a thirteen year old? Just because the age of consent is thirteen doesn't mean that's what I'm looking for."

"I'm tired and trying to sleep in. Try to freak me out later," he muttered, but Yami just leaned closer until his hair brushed Yuugi's cheek.

"Aibou, I'm thinking about sex. Doesn't that bother you just a little?"

"Not really. When I'm not trying to sleep, I think about it a lot too," he said. "Sometimes even when I am asleep. But not when I'm _trying_ to sleep. Please let me try some more."

"Anzu would be most upset if she heard you talking like that."

"Good thing she's not here, then."

"Why is that, I wonder? Considering the things I'm sure she's wanted to do to your body, I'm always utterly perplexed by her reluctance to believe your mind is as incredibly dirty as it is."

Yuugi's eyes opened as he realised all chance of sleep had just flown out the window. He frowned, then turned his head to look up at Yami's smirk. "For someone as possessive as you are, you sure bring up the topic of my first few years of hormone control an awful lot."

Yami's smirk vanished into a scowl, and Yuugi grinned, pushing him back just enough to roll onto his back. "So, Yami. Why are you researching the age of consent?"

"So I have an excuse to challenge your father to a dark game," he said lightly, and then lifted his leg to straddle Yuugi's waist and sit on him. "He lied to me."

"I'm pretty sure he's gonna do that a lot over the next however many years," he pointed out, then raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, specifically?"

"You remember that story your mother gave him, about me taking advantage of you in America, and us then eloping to Egypt?"

"Oh yeah, proof that my mother thinks I'm a girl," he said, and Yami smiled, reaching down to brush some hair from his face in comfort.

"Well, after that, your father decided you needed protecting, and tried to scare me off," he said, tucking the loose strand behind Yuugi's ear. "In fact, he threatened me. Said I could be arrested, because I had sex with a minor."

Yuugi blinked at him. "Dad thinks I'm twelve?"

"I think he just knew I didn't know the laws," he corrected, then smirked at the headboard. "But I've got him now."

"You can't challenge my dad to a dark game," he said wearily.

"Not a real one… I'll just scare him."

"No, you won't."

"He threatened to have me arrested!"

Yuugi sighed, closing his eyes again. "The fact that we weren't even together at that point really doesn't come into this equation, does it?"

"Not really."

"And the fact we've still never had sex hasn't occurred to you either, has it?"

"It has. Just not in this context," he said, and Yuugi chuckled. Yami grinned and leaned forward again. "Come on, aibou. He made me think I could be taken away from you and put in gaol."

"Well, then, that's your fault for not paying attention. Gay sex doesn't even count, under the law," he pointed out, and Yami raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't?"

"Mm-mm."

He hesitated, placing his hands on his knees and hunching over. "Why do you say it's my fault for not paying attention?"

Yuugi opened one eye to meet his confused gaze. "For one thing, every teenager knows the age of consent. For another, I know every law about legal ages, proof of ages, and consenting ages, because every school counsellor I've had since I was ten decided I needed to know for my personal safety. Except in one case, who actually admitted that he thought really dumb paedophiles might think I was attractive. And let me just say to you because I can't say it to anyone else without horrifying them: I wish. And third, Jounouchi, Honda and I did a paper on legal ages to boost our grade in Social Studies, back in first year."

"You did?"

"Yes. Which is why I'm especially confused about you not knowing," he said blankly. "Because I quite clearly was thinking about it."

"Well, maybe I just wasn't thinking about it," he said, grimacing. "I wasn't particularly interested in anything but games back then."

"Oh, for the days when I could sleep in without having to talk sexual legalities with you," Yuugi mumbled, closing his eye again.

"While we're on the topic, though…"

He opened both eyes to meet Yami's gaze again, getting vaguely annoyed.

"Since we are both consenting adults –"

"Consenting youth," he corrected. "Adults are twenty."

"Since we are both consenting teenagers, you don't have an exam, we don't have plans with our friends and your grandfather will be stuck in the store all day –"

"Yami, I haven't had a full night's sleep in two weeks," he said, glaring at him. "I haven't had my eyes closed for more than four hours at a time in eight days. I plan to stay in bed all day today."

"I have no objections to that."

"I am going back to sleep," he said bluntly.

"After –"

"After you stop talking."

He paused to consider that, then smirked. "And what if I don't?"

"Then I'm going to reach up, get my alarm clock, and feed it to you," he said wearily, but Yami didn't move.

"You wouldn't."

He scowled. "You're right. I wouldn't. But what's the saying? It's probably on that website you're looking up. It's my body, my choice, and you, Yami, are rejected. Get off me."

"You're adorable when you're trying to be tough."

"Did you just call me adorable?"

He smirked, leaning down to kiss him. "Never, aibou."

"I'm not doing anything," he said firmly, and Yami nodded, kissing him again.

"Your loss."

"Arrogant," he mumbled, but still smiled as he pushed up into a deep kiss.


End file.
